Blocking ads appeals to people across industries

Working in advertising isn’t enough to prevent a person from becoming fed up with the ads they see.

In an August 2018 survey of 103 ad agencies, publishers and marketers in North America conducted by Pressboard, 27.2% of respondents said they use an ad blocker to block ads on the websites they visit. These figures are similar to those found in the general population. According to eMarketer forecasts, 25.2% of US internet users will use an ad blocker in 2018.

Pressboard’s research showed that advertising professionals are more likely to rely on their friends than on ads when they decide whether or not to purchase a product. Nearly eight in 10 respondents (78.6%) said that word-of-mouth from friends influenced their recent purchase decision. Just fewer than 16% of those surveyed reported making a purchase after being influenced by banner ads.

The study from Pressboard shows how advertisers consume media similar to how ordinary people outside the ad industry do.

For example, about 80% of ad professionals polled by Pressboard said they skip ads when they view shows through a DVR. Surveys of consumers indicate that 65% to 90% of people skip video ads when the option is available.

Beyond that, a separate June 2018 survey from The CMO Club and Thunder, found that advertisers are also not very happy when they keep getting served the same ad over and over and over. The challenge is figuring out when ad frequency reports are accurate.

Indeed, the survey of 82 senior marketing executives worldwide found that although over three-quarters (78%) of respondents said it is “inexcusable” for consumers to keep receiving ads for products they already bought, 60% were not confident in the accuracy of the reports they receive on ad frequency.